Cindy C

That last 20 pounds is a b*tch! I'm in the same spot. I have lost so little lately and it IS discouraging. But....all of a sudden my 14s got loose and I had to go buy some 12s! Don't worry. The scale will eventually catch up! (or rather down!) Don't be disappointed when the scale doesn't move right after your TT. Because of the swelling and drainage it took about 2 weeks for it to show up on the scale after I had mine.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/842-chicago/

I use s/f chocolate carnation instant breakfast in skim milk and add a scoop of vanilla creme muscle milk powder. It's about 250 calories and 30 grams of protein. It tastes like a chocolate malt. The muscle milk is about $16 for a 13 serving container although I found 2 containers in a clearance cart at Kroger for $4 each.

Last night my "full meal" was a bowl of black bean soup. Surprisingly enough I ate the whole thing, although it took about 45 minutes! In time your idea of what a full meal is will change and your eyes will no longer be bigger than your stomach. (Pre-lapband my eyes must have been HUGE! )

Did you eat something you shouldn't have? I get a pain there if I overeat. When I was newly banded I got a horrible sharp pan once when I bent over and twisted the wrong way. The pain lasted a day or two.

While socialized medicine looks good in writing, you need to look a little closer. I live on the Canadian border and the doctors offices here have just as many Canadian patients as American. The Canadians come here because the wait time is so long to receive the care they need. One person I met was told "You have cancer. We can see you in 8 months". HELLO!!!!! How much is that cancer going to spread in 8 months?

The general rule of thumb about crushing pills is if it's scored you can break or crush it. Most capsules can be opened and just the contents taken although if its a powder inside it usually tastes horrible. Anything smaller than an aspirin will go through your band without a problem.

I probably could have done it but everyone is different. Just play it by ear and see how you feel.

Bummer, I just checked. It's not available for my Droid!

You stated that after 3 bites you were in pain and vomited 3 times. Doesn't sound like no problem to me. When you get a fill it causes swelling. I've never heard of a doctor saying it was ok to eat that soon after.

Didn't jump on anyone. Simply asked a question.

Why are you eating solid food 2 hours after a fill? You should be on liquids for at least 12 hours.

How are your clothes fitting? Have you taken your measurements? I have lost very little weight in the last several months, however, I'm down sizes and inches. The scale doesn't tell the whole story!

If you are burping, have heartburn and aren't losing weight then you are probably too tight!

If I want a treat I eat it. Doesn't mean I blew the whole day. I just try to cut back from somewhere else to compensate for it.

Mine are barely noticeable any more.

It's only been three days! Don't stress out. It took time to put it on. It'll take time to come off. GL tomorrow!

I never measured my food. I ate until I was satisfied which didn't take long. I do know that a 6 oz yogurt was more than I could handle at one time in the beginning. The trick is to not eat until you're full. Eat until you're satisfied and then stop. Whatever food is left in front of you throw away or feed to the dog. I found that I really needed to get over the "children starving in India" mentality that my mother drilled into my head and contributed to my weight issues in the first place. My theory now is "better to go to waste than to go to waist!"

Congrats on your success and your new baby. Nursing shouldn't affect your band but discuss it with your doctor. You want to remember to get the proper nutrition to pass on to your son. Breast feeding helps with weight lose. I'm sure you'll get back on track and lose the weight again.

Good job. I tried to go Monday. Got as far as putting on the clothes. Then started doing housework and never went. Went today, tho. Gonna try like heck to go tomorrow too.

If I'm going to drink it's either whiskey and water, vodka and cranberry or a glass of wine. Stay away from all things carbonated.

That's something you'll have to decide for yourself when the time comes. Personally, I'm taking mine to the grave with me! I'm not taking the chance of getting back to 300+ pounds. My best friend is the same way. She went from 300 to 150 and has maintained it for about 7 years. She said if it was taken out there's no doubt in her mind that she would regain. I also know people who have reached their goal and had it removed. It just depends on the individual.

If you had truly done A LOT of research on the band as you claim, you wouldn't be writing this right now. All of your excuses aren't going to melt the fat from your body. You don't need encouragement, you need a good swift kick in the ass. You might as well get used to being the fat person in the room because that's what you're going to be unless you decide to put in the necessary effort. You just had surgery 5 months ago and lost 40 pounds. I'd say you were off to a good start. So you hit a plateau...SO WHAT? We all hit 'em. You just have to stay on the horse and keep riding. Did you think you were going to lose 150 pounds the first week and then maintain it the rest of your life with no effort involved in the process? You need to grow up and be accountable for yourself. Nobody is going to build the house for you. Sorry if this isn't the response you were hoping for but I too am outspoken and as you said we are allowed to say what we want.

Your hair isn't falling off. It's breaking. It's very common and caused by a combination of rapid weight loss and protein deficiency. The good news is that it will grow back. I started losing mine about 6-7 months post op. It lasted for several months. I'm now 3 years into my journey and my hair is almost back to normal. Don't worry. It's just part of the process for most of us.

They will probably ask you what zone you're in, yellow, green or red. If you tell them yellow, they'll give you a fill.